Nancy Zaabalawi is from Damascus – Syria, a Gemini, who studied Arabic Literature at the University of Damascus before studying the English Language and computer at the American College. She is currently working as an executive secretary at the Syrian International School. Among her hobbies are singing and swimming. She wishes to work in the field of Business. If art were consistent with her beliefs, she would have chosen it without hesitation before anything else. Nancy maintains, “Art is still a source of shame for girls in the Arab world. The oriental society allows the girl to be a nurse for instance, and to get out of her house in the middle of the night and come back at 7:00 a.m. But the problem begins when the girl, in their opinion, sings for one hour and returns home…” Nancy’s father plays the guitar, and he is a music teacher and a member of the Artists Syndicate in Syria. As a young girl, she had the talent of memorizing the songs with great speed, and later on, she participated in a huge number of children’s shows in the Syrian Television and other Arab channels. However, she stopped to pursue her studies. During the summer of each year, Nancy’s family used to travel to Ladikiya to spend the vacation. During their stay in one of the hotels, Nancy used to sing in the events that used to be held daily just for the sake of fun not more…However, she impressed the hotel guests who started asking for her, which encouraged the hotel management to sign a contract with her last year to sing for one whole month, before starting to sing in restaurants and hotels in Damascus. Nancy says, “I don’t like the audience to impose a song on me that I’m not convinced of, even if it were by a great or well-known artist. Do we sing for ourselves or the audience? For the audience of course. However, what if we ceased to interact with and feel some songs? On the other hand, I know for sure that my voice is more beautiful in classical Arabic songs, and I’m personally inclined to perform the melancholic style of songs, as contrary to my joyful personality. I always laugh and I’m kindhearted…quiet, secret-keeper, and able to assume responsibility.” Below is an interview with Nancy Zaabalawi after winning 15.24% of the audience votes… Did you expect to win? No… not at all, because each of the nine participants had a special voice and style. I even heard that a large number of people described the episode as hot since it combined very beautiful and competitive voices. How are you going to prepare yourself for the final round of the show? I will undergo intensive practice. I will also try to get rid of my moody attitude in performing the songs that I only like. I’m a Gemini, which is known for having two contradictory personalities. That’s why I wish to overcome my moodiness, which is characteristic of my daily life as well. I’m also stubborn and I do what I find convenient without changing my mind. The situation would definitely differ today in the presence of MUSIC MASTER/WARNER which you signed a contract with to supervise your music productions in the case of winning at the end.. I cannot do without the advice of a team who are more experienced in the field. However, my personality also plays a role and I have to be consulted too. I cannot perform a song and appear in front of the public with an image that I’m not convinced of since this issue will affect my performance of the song or my image in general. Apart from your statements, you looked joyful and carefree when you appeared on T.V… I tried to look spontaneous and as close to the viewer as possible. But I was myself, exactly as I behave in my daily life. Do you think that beginning your career today from Beirut is more important than beginning from any other Arab city like Damascus or Cairo for instance? I did not begin yet… I’m still at a very early stage. But I’m at Superstar and I see that the beginning of my career through this show started in Beirut. Do you like fame? Not much…I’m naturally shy in spite of my singing in front of the audience. I refuse to be judged for my normal behaviors in my daily life only because I became under the spotlight. However my success today gave me some self-confidence. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.